The blog of the radio announcer for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Walkoff Wednesday (2009 Season)

It’s Walkoff Wednesday on Rattler Radio.

This week is a look at 2009, the first season with the Milwaukee Brewers as the parent club of the Timber Rattlers.

There were some really exciting walkoff victories for the Timber Rattlers that year. Unfortunately, there were some horrific walkoff losses, including three in Kane County. One of those walkoff losses in Kane County is something that I still am trying to get over – lo, these many years later.

BROCK!, Marseco, & Sanchez.

TIMBER RATTLERS WALKOFFS (5):

DATE: April 22 OPPONENT: Peoria Chiefs BATTER: Michael Marseco PITCHER: Kevin Kreier SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Peoria 2, Timber Rattlers 1 in bottom of 9th GAME WINNING PLAY: Michael Marseco tripled to drive in two runs FINAL SCORE: Timber Rattlers 3, Peoria 2 NOTE: Peoria scored a run in the top of the ninth to go up 2-1. Shawn Zarraga and Sean McCraw walked to start the bottom of the ninth. Juan Sanchez pinch ran for Zarraga. Erik Miller had a sacrifice bunt. Then, Marseco tripled to knock in both runners for the comeback win.

DATE: June 10 OPPONENT: Kane County Cougars BATTER: BROCK! Kjeldgaard PITCHER: Justin Murray SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 10th GAME WINNING PLAY: BROCK! hits a three-run homer with two outs! FINAL SCORE: Wisconsin 7, Kane County 4 (10) NOTE: BROCK! SMASH! Murray entered the game with two on and one out in the bottom of the tenth. He got a strike out for the second out, but BROCK! crushed a 1-2 pitch for the game winning homer.

DATE: June 26 OPPONENT: Peoria Chiefs BATTER: Jose Duran PITCHER: Chris Huesby SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th GAME WINNING PLAY: Corey Kemp scored ahead of a throw to the plate by second baseman Ryan Flaherty. FINAL SCORE: Timber Rattlers 3, Peoria 2 NOTE: The Rattlers were no-hit by Chris Archer and Alberto Cabrera through the first 6-1/3 innings. Wisconsin tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Kemp, Brett Lawrie, and Chris Dennis singled to load the bases with no outs in the ninth against Cabrera. Here’s how the winning run scored according to the game story that night: [Duran, t]he Rattlers third baseman was facing a drawn-in infield and sent a hard grounder to the left of second baseman Ryan Flaherty. Flaherty dove, knocked down the ball, and scrambled to control it. Kemp just beat the throw home to score the winning run.

DATE: June 27 OPPONENT: Peoria Chiefs BATTER: Juan Sanchez PITCHER: Manolin De Leon SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 14th GAME WINNING PLAY: An error by second baseman Junior Lake let Jose Duran score the winning run from third base. FINAL SCORE: Timber Rattlers 2, Peoria 1 (14) NOTE: Duran had reached on an error to start the inning and he moved to second on a wild pitch. The error by Lake came with two outs in the bottom of the fourteenth to let the winning run score.

DATE: July 24 OPPONENT: Dayton Dragons BATTER: Juan Sanchez PITCHER: Mark James SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 11th GAME WINNING PLAY: Sanchez bunts for a single and a wild throw by James allowed Derrick McPhearson to score. FINAL SCORE: Timber Rattlers 5, Dayton 4 (11) NOTE: Dayton tied the game 4-4 with a two out RBI single by Byron Wiley off Brandon Ritchie in the top of the ninth inning. McPhearson reached to start the eleventh on an infield single. Sanchez followed with a bunt single and James winged a throw down the right field line. McPhearson scored all the way from first base on the play.

OPPONENT WALKOFFS (6):

DATE: April 26 OPPONENT: Quad Cities River Bandits STADIUM: Modern Woodmen Park BATTER: Niko Vasquez PITCHER: Kris Dabrowiecki SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 8-8 in the bottom of the 9th GAME WINNING PLAY: RBI single by Vasquez caps a two run ninth for Quad Cities FINAL SCORE: Quad Cities 9, Timber Rattlers 8 NOTE: Brett Lawrie hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth to give the Rattlers an 8-6 lead. Dabrowiecki allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth to let the River Bandits get to within a run. Domnit Bolivar homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth to tie the game. A single, strikeout, and walk set the stage for the game winning single by Vasquez.

DATE: May 21 OPPONENT: Kane County Cougars STADIUM: Elfstrom Stadium BATTER: Dusty Coleman PITCHER: Rigoberto Almonte SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Timber Rattlers 6, Kane County 5 in the bottom of the 9th GAME WINNING PLAY: Two-run home run by Coleman. FINAL SCORE: Kane County 7, Timber Rattlers 6 NOTE: Wisconsin scored three runs in the top of the ninth on a two-out, two-run double by Edgar Trejo and an RBI single by BROCK Kjeldgaard. But, Matt Ray drew a one out walk in the bottom of the ninth and scored on the Dusty Coleman walkoff homer. I hate Elfstrom Stadium.

DATE: August 8 OPPONENT: Peoria Chiefs STADIUM: O’Brien Field BATTER: Ryan Flaherty PITCHER: Nick Tyson SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the 9th GAME WINNING PLAY: A wild pitch by Tyson with the bases loaded let pinch-runner Mario Mercedes score from third. FINAL SCORE: Peoria 6, Timber Rattlers 5 NOTE: The bases were loaded with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Then, Tyson uncorked his wild pitch. Mercedes, who was pinch-running for Michael Brenly, scored on the play for the Chiefs win.

DATE: August 26 OPPONENT: Burlington Bees STADIUM: Community Field BATTER: Jason Taylor PITCHER: Nick Tyson SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th GAME WINNING PLAY: Throwing error by third baseman Jose Duran. FINAL SCORE: Burlington 2, Timber Rattlers 1 NOTE: Tyson retired the first two batters of the bottom of the ninth. Then, David Wood doubled. Duran handled the grounder cleanly, but Kyle Dhanani couldn’t make the scoop at first base. Wood scooted home with the winning run. Oddly, Dhanani started the game at third base and BROCK! Kjeldgaard started the game at first. But, for the bottom of the sixth, Kjeldgaard went to right to replace Mike Vass, Dhanani went to first and Duran entered the game to play third.

DATE: August 28 OPPONENT: Kane County Cougars STADIUM: Elfstrom Stadium BATTER: Franklin Hernandez PITCHER: Brandon Ritchie SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 10th GAME WINNING PLAY: A dropped infield fly with the bases loaded. FINAL SCORE: Kane County 4, Timber Rattlers 3 (10) NOTE: The Cougars had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the tenth. Ritchie got Hernandez to send a high pop fly to shallow right. Both umpires called for the Infield Fly for the second out. But, Pete Fatse dropped the ball and Nino Leyja scored from third base. Have I mentioned that I hate this place.

DATE: August 30 OPPONENT: Kane County Cougars STADIUM: Elfstrom Stadium BATTER: Connor Crumbliss PITCHER: Rigoberto Almonte SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the 10th GAME WINNING PLAY: Almonte hit Crumbliss on a 1-2 pitch with the bases loaded. FINAL SCORE: Kane County 6, Timber Rattlers 5 (10) NOTE: The Rattlers scored a run in the top of the ninth to take a 5-1 lead. Kane County scored four times in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game. In the bottom of the tenth, Jeremy Barfield doubled and was sacrificed to third base. Liam Ohlmann intentionally walked the next two batters. Then, Almonte came in to face Crumbliss. He hit Crumbliss on a 1-2 pitch to force in the winning run. I really, really, really hate this place.

I don’t normally jump in here, but…SERIOUSLY?!?! The last four walkoff losses of the 2009 season were on a bases loaded wild pitch, a throwing error, a dropped infield fly (?!!), and a bases loaded hit batsman (!!!) on a 1-2 pitch?!?!! wow. Just wow.

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